Silence is Silver
by HYpatheticallySPEAKING
Summary: People say "Silence is golden." Rose Weasley disagrees. As a curse breaker for Gringotts, she's used to waiting in silence for the tiniest hint of something wrong. What she didn't expect was for her life to change entirely. To be honest, she thinks that silence isn't gold. It should be valued less... like how people think of silver.
1. Valley of the Kings

**Silence is Silver**

CHAPTER 1

"Rose… Rosie! Rose! ROSE WEASLEY GET YOUR ARSE UP THIS INSTANT!"

The early morning light had yet to break over the sides of the Valley of the Kings. Despite wanting to do nothing, I grudgingly sat up. What, it was my-

"I don't care if it's your birthday, Rosie. We're breaking into the burial chamber today!" Uncle Bill's usually low voice was filled with giddy, almost childish excitement.

I groaned. _Thanks, Uncle Bill. Happy birthday to me. I should be the excited one._

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled, pulling myself off of my green cot. "I'm up, I'm up!"

I started getting changed for our next expedition into the tomb. There was no… required uniform for any member of our team, but we all had the same idea- no clothes that could get snagged and shoes that would allow us to run. My standard outfit was a pair of khaki cargo trousers, a white cotton tank top, and brown hiking boots. A quick glance at the small handheld mirror on my bedside table made me sigh. My auburn hair was as unruly as ever, and the lack of hair care products in the middle of an unpopulated and repelling-charm-filled part of Egypt didn't help much- not that I usually cared about my far-from-prim appearance. I pulled my shoulder-length hair up into a semblance of a ponytail before departing from the canvas tent that doubled as both my workstation and my home.

"Hi…" My voice trailed off as I realized I was one of three people awake. "Uncle Bill!" I cried out in exasperation. _Where are Winona, Elyon, Jaimie, and Luís?_ I wondered, thinking about the other members of our seven-person party. We all were sent to explore the tombs of affluent Ancient Egyptian wizards. I could hear Uncle Bill talking to someone- either Winona or Demelza- on the other side of our U-shaped encampment. I walked briskly to where I heard the voices coming from.

He glanced up at me. "Yes, Rosie?"

I scowled, trying my best to give him a trademark Slytherin glare. I thought I'd grown out of the nickname. "Why are the only people awake you, me, and-" I pointed to the tall and wiry woman standing next to him, "-Demelza..?"

"Because," he said, feigning seriousness, "we don't need a full team for today. So it's just the three of us." I could see the mirth in his eyes, which would normally be surprising on his scarred face. Well, to anyone who didn't work with him or didn't grow up with him goofing off with Uncle Charlie and Uncle George. "And you're our best with countercurses- verbal and nonverbal."

"Fine," I relented- only because of the compliment, "I bet we'll finish it by noon today."

"Five galleons?" Uncle Bill extended his hand.

I debated raising the price, seeing as he almost never made bets against me anymore. Sighing, I shook his hand. "Deal."

I had every right to act like his only Slytherin niece… seeing as I was. I was the only Weasley (and Potter) to ever be sorted into Slytherin. Dad hadn't taken it too well, and Mum had accepted it- but that's a story for another time.

Demelza Robins had watched our exchange in amusement. "You know, I'll never understand you Weasleys," she commented, shaking her head. "And I think we should start heading into the tomb soon. The sun'll be over the horizon in about an hour and a half. C'mon, Rose, there's breakfast in the camp stove."

I grinned, "Thanks, Demelza."

The remaining four members of our Gringotts team were still not awake by the time we left. To be honest, I didn't mind; I was always uncomfortable in large groups of people.

The trek to the tomb always took the better half of an hour. It was up near the rim of the valley and the climb was treacherous. A friend from Hogwarts once asked me, "Why don't you just apparate to the entrance?" But see, that's the thing. The grottos and caves are so similar that it would be near impossible to focus on the destination unless you had a photographic memory. Plus there were enough wards to keep the muggles away from these areas for _centuries_. So we were stuck climbing the steep rock faces until we arrived at the tomb.

I took a deep breath as I looked out at the horizon. The sky was tinged with early-morning colors: hues of red, shades of yellow, and a thin smear of orange. It was beautiful. Happy twenty-fourth birthday to me. I was snapped out of my reverie as Uncle Bill levitated the rock door out of the way of the tomb.

"Let's get this over with," I said, murmuring a quick "Lumos" as I peered into the depths of the tomb. None of the charms had been broken, so nothing had gone in or out of the site since the last time we had visited. I took a step inside the man-made cavern. "So, Demelza, what were the runes you broke?"

I shouldn't have had to ask her, if our team was the normal type where everyone was decent at everything. But nope, I was terrible with ancient runes. It was the only subject I only got an Exceeds Expectations in for my NEWTS. (Yes, what my Dad always said was true; I inherited my mum's brains.) Instead, we had a different way we split up the members of our excursion- it was mostly the two Americans, Winona and Elyon, who insisted. The work was separated into two different parts: Curse Breaker and Rune Translator. I, of course, was a Curse Breaker.

But back to the fact.

"There were two translations that Elyon and I found. Well... He found that there were two ways to translate the runes. The first was, 'The sun releases the one that cannot speak.' That would most likely refer to the engravings of the sun on the chamber door. The other translation was a bit more macabre, to be honest. 'The sun comes and away goes their voice.' But that would probably just be a deterrent, seeing as we're all using the wand-lighting charm."

I had to admit, the logic was pretty good. But something didn't sit right with me.

Uncle Bill praised the older witch's deduction, and I didn't question them. I trusted their experience.

I should have questioned them. But more on that in a little bit.

The tunnels were cramped, barely two meters across. It still made me wonder how they managed to pass the large statues and figurines through the passageways when shrinking charms were only first recorded in… I want to say the early sixteenth century? Don't quote me on that. But anyway, it was almost a labyrinthine path with numerous untriggered traps (which I _still_ had to remind people about) and ancient runes and hieroglyphics covering the walls. I'd never gotten accustomed to the musty and earthy scent that came with the field of work. I didn't mind it, but I would never love that smell… even if it was slightly reminiscent of the Slytherin common room.

There were torches affixed to the walls, just at eye level. Well, above average eye level- probably one and three-quarters meters up from the slowly sloping ground. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, an unwelcome present from those eight-legged demons. Yeah, I was cursed with Dad's irrational fear of arachnids. Okay, not all arachnids, just spiders… Especially the acromantulas in the forest- wait, I'm getting distracted.

Anyway, we trudged through the tomb until we reached the final room. We had cleared the rest of the traps and spells from the entire underground, but the only remaining chamber was what we assumed to be the location of the sarcophagus. And of course, it was behind a wall saturated with magic and only covered in one line of runes. Demelza, Winona, Elyon, and Luís- our Rune translators- had spent nearly two weeks attempting to figure out the meaning of the words that each had multiple translations while Uncle Bill, Jaimie and I worked on preparing countercurses in case someone unintentionally triggered a trap.

I held my alder wand in front of me, illuminating the final room. It was a fairly large room, roughly ten meters by seven. There were platters of food and jugs of wine lay on intricately carved stone tables. The walls were painted with vibrant colours, and I could imagine the pictures of ancient beasts, powerful witches and wizards, and animagus deities coming to life.

"Rose, get back," Demelza said, gently pushing me aside.

I nodded, taking a step back. "Yes, Demelza."

Uncle Bill stood on the other side of her, pointing his wand at the current target- a large span of wall, untouched except for the line of runes that trailed down in a diagonal from left to right and the large diagram of the sun.

I stopped the light from my wand, and the room dimmed slightly. "Sorry, but I want to be ready," I said apologetically. I took a few steps to the side, that way I would be able to see if the spellwork Demelza and Uncle Bill were casting was wrong.

"Three…" Uncle Bill began to count down. "Two… One… Go!"

They shouted the spell, a light-based charm that outlined the entire sun. It took me five seconds until I noticed that the spell was going awry. The wall began to channel some type of magic on its own, repelling Uncle Bill and Demelza's work.

"No! Protego!" I shouted, my voice a higher pitch than normal.

It was a basic charm, I'll admit, but it worked. Without the ongoing charm, the room turned pitch black. "Lumos Solem," I said, pointing my wand at the door. I hoped it would work, but if not, I would have easily been able to revert the charm back to a standard lighting spell. It didn't, but then I felt a slight jolt of pain travel up my arm. I dismissed it easily, and began to change spells.

The door began to move, receding back into the room about half a meter, and then splitting in half to open up the final chamber. I grinned at Uncle Bill.

"Okay, okay. Five galleons it is. I'll give it to you when we get back."

I nodded, still grinning happily.

"Are you going to stand there all day, beaming like a first year?"

_Whoops, sorry, Demelza._

"Come on, let's go."

I followed them out of the tomb, into the bright sunlight. I raised my hand in front of my brown eyes, shielding them from the blazing sunlight.

"We can apparate back," Uncle Bill said.

Before I could even open my mouth to say anything, there was a 'pop', and Demelza had vanished, leaving me and Uncle Bill in the arid Egyptian air.

"Let's go, Rose," he said, extending an arm for side-along apparation.

Yes. Let's get this straight once and for all. Rose Weasley, Curse Breaker extraordinaire, does not like to apparate. Maybe it's the feeling of getting squished through a dark tube. Or it might be the fact that you can end up splinched- which, by the way, is _much_ more painful than most wizards say it is. Or- well, you get the point. I latched onto his elbow and took a deep breath, closing my eyes. Yes, I close my eyes when I apparate. Or side-along apparate. Maybe _that's_ why I wasn't a Gryffindor.

And then there it was. That horrid, gut-wrenching feeling of apparation. (To this day, I _still_ don't understand why Hugo- my lovable git of a brother whose present had yet to show up- insisted on apparating every five feet as soon as he passed his test.) Of course, we were done apparating in a matter of seconds. I was thankful for the small breakfast- at least I wasn't dumping the contents of my stomach onto the sand.

Uncle Bill put a hand on my shoulder. "Stay right here, Rosie," he requested. "I'll be right back with your galleons."

I nodded, a corner of my mouth twitching up into a smirk. But it quickly faded. I couldn't understand why, but it felt as though all my energy was drained. The tingling in my arm hadn't stopped since we left the tomb; if anything, the electrical feeling seemed to have intensified. But I figured that it was just another side effect of apparating. I sat down on the sandy earth, slightly lightheaded.

Uncle Bill emerged from the tent carrying a small bag- most likely my bet winnings, and… an empty bottle? I raised my eyebrows quizzically at him.

"Don't ask, it's supposed to be a surprise," he said, shoving the bag into one of my hands, and I grinned. All of a sudden, the bottle began to glow blue, and I suddenly realized what it was. A portkey. "Come on, then!"

I placed a hand on the portkey just as it was about to vanish. I felt what seemed like a hook in my abdomen, and then everything swirled into oblivion.

Next thing I knew, I was standing at the Burrow, one of my favorite places in the entire world. Then there was a blindfold over my eyes, and I was being dragged into the familiar house. I could smell Grandma Molly's cooking, and I could hear the giggles of one of my younger cousins. Probably Lucy.

The blindfold- my old Hogwarts necktie- was removed from my face and slipped off. I blinked a few times, adjusting to the sudden change in light.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROSE!"

I grinned. No, not my usual Slytherin smirk. A genuine smile.

"Thanks, guys," I said. Or rather I wanted to say. There were no sounds coming from my mouth. I could feel my eyes widening, panic setting in. _WHY CAN'T I SPEAK?! _I cried out, both internally, and at my surprisingly silent family and friends.

There was shooting pain in my arm again, and I dropped the bag of galleons. I glanced at Uncle Bill, who was staring at me as if he wasn't sure if I were pulling a prank. I wanted to scream at him, asking when I had ever taken part in our family's pranks, but my arm was burning, and it felt like there was poison coursing through my veins.

I heard a familiar voice curse from behind me. "She's not joking!"

My eyes felt heavy and I began to sway slightly. My knees were weak. _Hm, that's interesting,_ I thought as my consciousness began to fade, _I've never gotten a tattoo of a snake on my right arm…_

The last thing I remembered before fading completely was the concerned face of someone I hadn't seen in nearly a year- Scorpius Malfoy. He'd caught me before I hit my head on something.

"Thanks," I attempted to say. _But I'm fine. I don't want anyone to worry about me._

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**This story is loosely based on my oneshot, "Rose Weasley, Slytherin". If you feel like reading it, please do- it has some background info (not that it's too important, or even necessary that you read it). I've been planning out this story for a while, so updates should be regular (should being the operative word).  
A very gracious "Thank you!" to quillstrike, who is my absolutely wonderful Beta for this story.  
And thanks to you for reading! ****_Please _****review!**


	2. Happy Birthday, right?

CHAPTER 2

"... how is she?"

"Her vitals are fine, Al."

"Do you know why-"

"Move away so she can breathe and let me see her. I'm her mother for Merlin's sake!"

My eyes fluttered open at the sound of Mum's voice. The room was mostly vacated; my only remaining family members were Mum, Dad, Hugo, and Al.

_Oh, that's bloody wonderful. I had fainted. _

"You're up, Rose. I'm glad," someone said, engulfing me in a bone-crushing hug and pushing Mum away. It took me a second to recognize the voice. It was my best female friend, Magnolia Williams. I hadn't seen anyone from England in nearly a year- I was in Egypt, after all. She had cut her light brown hair and her blue eyes were coated in makeup. _She hasn't changed at all_, I thought_. I told her that she never fully reverted back from that muggle-goth phase..._ "Are you okay to sit up, Rose?"

I nodded, knowing full well that my voice didn't seem to work. I was laying on my favourite couch in the entire Burrow- a squishy seat right next to the fireplace. It was a bit far from where I'd collapsed, I realized, and I looked back in confusion. I pushed myself up to a sitting position, ignoring the ancient magic coursing through my arm. Based on everyone's blank and confused looks, they hadn't realized the source of my plight. Of course I was the only person who realized what it was.

"Do you have any idea what it would be?" Al asked. Next to me (and Scorpius who had chosen that bloody wonderful moment to vanish), he was the best with countercurses in our... group.

I rolled my eyes, and extended my arm to show him the tattoo.

"Why are you showing me your arm, Rosie?"

I gave him an exasperated look. _Why can't he see it?_ I pointed to the snake that had appeared on my arm.

Everyone just stared at me blankly. I glanced around, looking for Scorpius- he would have understood what I meant… probably. I sighed, and grabbed for my wand.

_Specialis revelio._

I tapped my wand arm in an awkward attempt to let them see what happened. But of course, my arm- or rather the Egyptian spell- repelled the use of the spell.

AND IT BURNED LIKE FIENDFYRE!

And of course, it probably looked like I was mad; I was casting spells on myself and then screaming silently. I glanced back to everyone, raising my eyebrows questioningly.

"Why did you cast specialis revelio?"

I recognized that voice. It was my best friend- don't tell Maggie I... said ( thought?) that.

Scorpius Malfoy.

Yes, gasp as much as you want- although I thought that The Daily Prophet had obsessed over the fact that we were friends _ages ago_. I'd know his voice anywhere.

I shifted in my seat to face him. He hadn't changed one bit. His eyes were still a striking blue-grey that seemed to bore into my soul. His hair was intentionally ruffled slightly- although that may have been a result of me fainting… Scorpius was fit- I supposed that it was due to his auror training. But he had alw- I stopped myself before I started going down _that_ path again. That only resulted in my ears turning a flaming red.

I rolled my eyes before looking down at the snake on my right arm. It had 'slithered' up my forearm about two more centimetres, although the tail-end was still at the knuckle of my middle finger. I looked at him, motioning for a quill and parchment. He always had writing equipment in his pockets, and thankfully the habit hadn't faded after Hogwarts.

He grabbed my arm away as I cast another revealing spell. It burned more intensely, but I was able to keep the pain under control. I guess he saw me wince again because he retracted his hand as if he were burnt too.

Scorpius snatched away my wand before handing me a small piece of parchment and a quill. "No more magic for you until we know what's going on," he said in that bloody annoying imperative tone of voice. "Go on," he continued, tapping the paper.

I raised an eyebrow at him, looking at the thick parchment dubiously.

"No, it's not important," he responded to my unasked question.

I always loved the way that he could understand what I was trying to ask even before my family.

_Hm,_ I thought, _Maybe he can be my personal translator until I figure out what happened._

I tapped my lip with the quill, contemplating what words to choose.

The quill made a scratching sound as I wrote down my unspoken words. _"Hi Mum, Dad, Hugo, Al, Maggie, Scorpius. Thanks for the party! Even if I'm not doing so great. And can any of you see a tattoo of a snake on my arm?"_

Al laughed. It was a laugh of pity, and I would have hexed him if Scorpius hadn't confiscated my wand. Maybe that's why he mocked my situation... "Rose, there isn't a snake on your arm."

I looked around; none of my family members knew what I was talking about. Maggie shook her head as well. I looked at Scorpius.

"Well, this is just brilliant."

I raised an eyebrow.

"I can see it, Rose... maybe because of the second spell? And I've never seen a curse or spell like it before."

"What does it look like?" Mum asked. She worked in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, so I didn't understand why she was asking about it. It took me a few seconds to remember that she was 'the brightest witch of her age'.

Continuing his musings Scorpius muttered, "I've seen it... I caught her arm... So maybe a tactile curse?" he shook his head before responding to my mum. "The tattoo's just a snake. Pure black in colour, and there are no markings on it. It reaches from her middle finger to nearly her elbow..." He turned to me sharply. "Rose, did it move further up your arm?"

I nodded and mimicked waving my wand.

"So it's affected by magic. And I _definitely _couldn't see it before I caught her earlier."

_Bloody git. _

I know, I know, totally uncalled for. But I couldn't stand not being able to do anything. I stared at the tattoo that was on my arm. Why was Scorpius the only one able to see it? And why did it react so terribly against magic? Was he caught in the spell too?

I wrote on the paper again. _"Uncle Bill. He probably has dealt with something similar before."_

Dad frowned. "Rosie, he's already gone back to Egypt... you've been unconscious for the whole day- it's almost dinnertime." There was something else hidden in his voice, but I didn't pry. Of course Uncle Bill had gone back to Egypt- he still had to instruct the rest of the team on what to do next... and there was no way he knew that I was cursed... right?

_"__Well then, who's going with me to get him?" _I wrote. Forget the bloody apparition. I wanted this to be over.

Hugo grabbed me by the shoulders. "Rose. What would be the point? We can send him an owl and he'll be here in a matter of hours."

I scowled; stupid Ravenclaws and their stupid logic.

Magnolia handed me a potion in a goblet. "Drink it, Rose. You'll feel better. And less..." She looked at me, scanning up and down, "depressing. It's not the end of the world, Rose. We've still got your birthday to celebrate."

I could see everyone else who was in the room wince along with me.

I quickly downed the contents of the goblet- a pepper-up potion, based on the taste- to hide my reaction.

"I said the wrong thing, didn't I?" Magnolia said in a sad voice.

I stood up so I could hug her, but Al was already patting her on the shoulder, "Yup. But we love you anyway."

I nodded. Seriously, her lack of tact was the first thing that made us friends- she had openly insulted everyone in the room other than me in the same sentence. Ah, how I missed Herbology with Uncle Neville. Those were the good old days. _Man, I sound old! I'm only 23- oh, I suppose 24 now. _

Hugo's voice broke me out of my reminiscent thoughts. "Can you _not_ start snogging in front of us? For Melin's sake!"

I started laughing, even though no sound escaped my lips. My laughter- or soundless laughter- was contagious; Scorpius and Hugo started laughing at the pair of lovebirds. Al's ears were a bright red, and Magnolia blushed, hiding her face in Al's shirt.

_Some things never change,_ I realized. I tilted my head towards the door out of curiosity as to who was still at the Burrow. I would have given anything for a pair of extendable ears- even though mum had practically banned them from all family gatherings- in order to hear the hushed whispers that were coming through the door.

"Nobody left, Rosie," Dad responded to my nonexistent question. "Well, I mean, Bill did, but you know that. Are you feeling well enough to go out there?"

I never liked parties. I was always the one in the back, either watching the goings on or just sitting quietly with Al, Maggie, and Scorpius. But I was always happy when that one day of the year came around when the whole family paid attention to me. (Even though family get-togethers _still_ rarely end without a fight of some sort- mostly food fights.)

I nodded, my face morphing into a grin. _"Come on,"_ I wrote, _"there's a party going on."_

It really was the same as any other family gathering. Fred and James were pranking everyone. James' muggle wife was staring at everything in awe (she had never really gotten over the surprise that magic is real). Hugo was off somewhere- probably owling his squib best friend (almost girlfriend). Dominique and Louis were sitting off to the side, appraising everyone's clothing choices. Victoire, Teddy, and their children- Nymphadora and Remus- were sitting in the room where I had been resting earlier.

Years ago, even before Al and I were carted off to Hogwarts, Grandma Molly had gotten permission to get use an undetectable extension charm on the inside of the Burrow. After all, there were way too many of us to fit inside a regular house...

Anyway. I was practically swimming in presents. Not that I minded- it was one of the benefits to having such a large family. But honestly, all I wanted was to go and sleep. Unfortunately, the half-dozen chocolate frogs and four sugar quills that I had consumed wouldn't let me.

Grandma Molly waltzed out of the kitchen, levitating a large cake. It was a round cake with white icing and a "Happy Birthday, Rose" written on it in blue.

I grinned. Honestly, the best part of birthdays was the cake. I'd normally argue that spending time with family is the best part, but it wasn't this time around. I kept getting looks of pity from everyone, and I was bristling. Sure, I could have just drunk butterbeer mixed with firewhisky, but I'd never liked the thought of losing inhibitions as a result of a single beverage.

So, um, what was I saying?

Oh yeah, after the first cake was brought out, a few more were brought out. Everyone gathered around the table- my close to three-dozen family members, family friends, and a few friends from Hogwarts who managed to show up for the cake.

They seemed to be oblivious to the fact that I was physically unable to speak. I suppose that was a good thing... If even one more person looked at me with pity... well, let's just say my Slytherin pride wouldn't be able to tolerate it.

"Make a wish, Rosie!"

_Seriously, I swear I outgrew that nickname ages ago, _I thought as I closed my eyes. It was the first time I'd ever genuinely contemplated a birthday wish. Most of the time it was for superficial things or good luck in the coming year. But not this time. I was stuck between wishing that I'd get this blasted tattoo off my arm and wishing that I'd get to spend more time with my quartet of friends.

I wished for both.

What, I figured I deserved two wishes- bad birthday and all...

The rest of the party was as typical as anyone would anticipate from a... Wotter party. Yeah, I've heard that term used before. The food fight _may _have started with a surreptitious flick of my wand... Or not.

A quick note to whoever wants to start a food fight when at the Burrow: _always_ aim for Teddy first. Even though he's got kids, he's still a child at heart. He threw a cookie at Uncle George- who never backs down from a food fight, who decided that it was a perfect time to cause one of the many cakes to explode. Mum managed to rush out of the room quickly before it became a war zone.

I smirked. Everything was going well. I was successfully sneaking out of the room. Up until I got hit in the back of the head with a pumpkin pasty. See, Dad has nearly miraculous aim with those things. In the spirit of all food fights, I picked the squashed dessert off of my neck and threw it back at him. (Good thing he forced me to play chaser with the rest of the family rather than reading books, right?) Perfect aim, of course- I hit him square in the face. I failed at suppressing a laugh, but it didn't matter anyway.

How had I forgotten I couldn't speak?

The thought crushed me. Merlin, I felt like an emotional teenager again.

An arm snaked around my shoulder, and I jumped in surprise. "Dear Merlin, Maggie," I said. Well, attempted to say.

She just smiled. "Let's get out of here, 'kay?"

I let my best friend lead me away, her grasp like a... what's the muggle term..? Vice grip, that's it. The kitchen was filled with countless plates that were magically cleaning themselves. Ah, the advantages of magic. I still don't get how James' wife ever managed life without magic. Um, anyway, she dragged me out through the kitchen and into the yard. I ended up stumbling over a formerly sleeping gnome and falling into the dewy grass, pulling Magnolia along with me. I smiled sheepishly.

"It's okay, Rose. And you know where we're headed, right?"

I nodded. It was where we all promised to be friends forever. Cliché to the nth degree, but true. Maggie and I had insisted during the summer before third year. I remember like it was yesterday. Mostly because of how much persuading we had to do to convince Dad that Scorpius was not a complete and utter arse. It was the garage where Grandad Weasley used to keep all of his muggle knickknacks. Of course, the best was the flying car... more like the story that went along with it.

Dear Merlin, I'm reminiscing too much.

I walked into the garage slowly, careful not to step on any spark plugs or rubber ducks. _This feels so nostalgic,_ I thought as I glanced around. Al was sitting on the hood of the car- an action that I had frequently berated him for as a child, and Scorpius was sitting on the ground lazily conjuring bubbles in the air. _Definitely nostalgia._

"Rose!" Al exclaimed, hopping off the car and pulling me into a bone-crushing hug. I still never understood where he got that much strength. "Looks like you survived," he commented as he released me from the hug, "Although..." he picked a piece of pasty out of my hair.

I shook my head, auburn curls flying everywhere. The last bits of food fell out of my hair. _Maybe the food fight wasn't such a brilliant idea..._

Shrugging, I flicked a crumb at Scorpius. _No hello? ...Seriously?_

"Hey, Rosie." I frowned. _Git._ He knew full well I hated that nickname, no matter how endearing it sounded from- ugh, stop it Rose! He smirked. "And there's the frown."

Albus handed him a galleon. _Definitely a git._

Maggie started giggling. "Merlin, it's as if nothing's changed..."

I smiled faintly. _If only..._

* * *

Stars scintillated above the Valley of the Kings. A cold wind whistled through the sandy valley, kicking up swirls of sand. A crack echoed through the surrounding area, travelling through the uninhabited area. As the sound faded, a person slipped off an invisibility cloak.

"She should be here," the figure commented in a deep voice.

There was the bluish light of a portkey in the distance, and the man moved closer to where his associate would be arriving.

It was light enough to see the outline of the long-haired woman, but not her face. She always insisted that they never truly meet each other.

The woman ran towards the man, leaving a trail of scattered sand in her wake. "We're doomed," she stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "They broke through our defence and now the plan needs to be altered. Again."

The man cursed. "I have to report this, don't I?"

A slight inclination was all the response he needed. "We're doomed, indeed."

"I have five minutes left."

"What in the world happened?"

"Simple, really. The girl broke the curse, but it rebounded."

"Rebounded... How?"

"I'm guessing it'll be amplified. I-I've never seen this happen before." The woman's stammer was unprecedented, and the man stared wide-eyed.

The man cursed, his voice whipped away with the swirl of desert sand. "I'll send a message as soon as I get back."

The woman inclined her head, wisps of brown hair falling in front of her face. "And I will report what I have learned as well... We shall meet in two days' time." The woman took a trinket from her clothes. "Portus." The object glowed blue, and twenty seconds later she vanished.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading. It means the world to me! Thank you to scribbleeexx, angelica8051, and Emily for reviewing. I plan to start updating more frequently *crosses fingers* because I've got major plans. A million thank-you's to quillstrike, my amazingly wonderful Beta.  
Thanks for reading, and ****_please_**** review!  
-Cler**


	3. Searching just searching

CHAPTER 3.1

It had been a full week since my birthday. It was a week of endless potions, spells, and bizarre magical treatments. To be honest, I just wished that I would get to go back to Egypt. But Uncle Bill thought I would be a liability, and I was left in England.

The only upside was I got to spend more time with my family and friends. It was, as Uncle Bill put it, "well-earned rest". I guess I'm a workaholic like Mum. I had to be doing something.

At the very least, I discovered that I could still use magic. So long as spells weren't directed at _me_, the snake didn't creep further up my arm. We- meaning Mum, Dad (okay, not really Dad), Uncle Bill, Hugo, Al, Scorpius, and Maggie- were all doing research in our free time.

They had found countless books on Egyptian curses and spells. Nothing definitive and it was driving me mad. I couldn't turn my back on the research, so I found myself perusing the books in my spare time.

"...Rose!"

I jumped, knocking a pile of books onto the floor of my parents' study- okay, Mum's study- as I whirled about, flinging a quick bat-bogey hex at whoever interrupted my impromptu nap. Blinking, I cleared the haze that lingered in front of my eyes.

_Oh great,_ I thought as I saw the woman before me. _I just hexed Aunt Ginny. Kill me now._

"Rose, you're paler than Nearly Headless Nick. Are you okay?"

I nodded slowly before grabbing the quill and parchment I kept hidden in my robes. "_Yeah, Aunt Ginny."_ I wrote._ "What brings you here?" _

She was bright and cheerful, and there was a childish look on her face despite her greying hair. "Not that I don't mind getting hexed," she replied, brown eyes filled with mirth, "But I came here to see how you're doing. Nice hex by the way. I couldn't have taught you better."

_"__Well you were the one to teach me," _I wrote. _"Nobody's got a scarier mastery over that hex. And thanks for caring, but I don't know what to do with this..." _I glanced down at the snake that now curled around my elbow.

She sat down in a chair next to me, twirling her own wand between her fingers. "Curses really aren't fun," she whispered, taking my hand in hers. "But you know better than any of us that they can be broken." Aunt Ginny let my hand drop as she put her hands on her hips. It was so similar to Grandma Weasley that I lost focus for a moment. "...don't stay here as though it's already destroyed your life, Rose. It's been three weeks since you cooped yourself up here. Go out, live a little. Go to a party. Meet up with your friends. Get my son to finally propose already."

I could feel my shoulders shaking as a grin crossed my face. The silent laughter was contagious as I brought my hands to cover my grin. _I knew something was up. There _was an_ ulterior motive!_

She poked my nose and I frowned—I wasn't a kid who could be cheered up with a... oh, who am I kidding—I felt loads better having a quick conversation with my aunt than I had in days. "Seriously though, I have a bet going and I can't afford to lose this. That'd mean your mum would win out."

"Well, excuse me for having a realistic bet!" Mum exclaimed from the doorway. I gaped at her; the frizzy-haired woman rarely took part in the family betting pool.

I raised an eyebrow, silently asking their stakes. Of course, I hadn't seen the two in question- Al and Maggie- other than the occasional meeting to discuss more dead ends. I was actually as uninformed as my family (for once).

"Everyone else bet for earlier or not at all," Aunt Ginny explained. "My betting window lasts until next weekend, and Hermione's is from that point onward."

It was petty, betting against everyone in the family, but hey, that's what we did.

I shrugged, and silence fell.

Mum puffed out her cheeks- an action I never thought I'd see her do, since it was so childish- as she sat down in a chair. "The one time I bet, and you don't even help?" she teased. I sighed- was I the only mature person in the room? My mum and aunt burst out into raucous laughter at my reaction, causing me to bury my head in my hands.

Well, at least they were laughing and Mum wasn't fretting about me.

The door creaked open again, revealing Hugo. My brother glanced at me, then anxiously to our older relations before settling on looking at me again.

Something was up—there was panic in his eyes.

I stood up and smiled at the two women in the room. I picked up the latest books I had been reading—_Deities of the Nile_ and _Egyptian Magic_—before heading out of the study. Hugo closed the door behind me and grabbed my wrist.

He dragged me into my old bedroom (which I happened to be using until I broke this idiotic spell) and cast a _muffiliato _spell at the door. I snorted; it wasn't as though I would be able to make noise anyway.

"I need your help."

I refrained from rolling my eyes. _Of course. _

"Seriously, Rose. Well, I need your help to help Al."

That piqued my interest. I waved my hands in a 'go on' motion.

"He needs you to keep Maggie busy while he sets something up."

I could feel the figurative gears setting into place. He rarely cast spells for the heck of it. Hugo wasn't a secretive person to begin with... But if it's about Al and Maggie...

I took a seat on my bed, dropping the two tomes next to me. Sighing, I glanced out the window, which showed a path that led to a small clearing in a nearby park.

"_He plans to propose?"_ I wrote in the air using my wand. The letters lingered for a few seconds before falling like snowflakes that dissolved before reaching the ground.

Hugo nodded, "He wants it to be 'perfect'. But Al's always stressed the details. So he completely forgot one major thing—his girlfriend shouldn't _know_ about the plan." He sighed, "And because Al is Al, he's stressing so much that it's blatantly obvious. You could cover him with James' cloak and you'd still know what's going on."

I would have laughed, but I could feel a pang of jealousy in my gut. _Why hadn't they asked for my help earlier? I noticed. But he didn't say anything._

Hugo sat down next to me and elbowed me in the ribs. "You know, he was really mad when he couldn't get letters through to you. Something about it bothering you while you were at work. That... and Uncle Bill would have thrown a fit if he realized it was Al's owl. And then he didn't want to stress you out any more... with everything that's been going on."

I smiled, but I could feel myself getting annoyed. It wasn't at Al anymore; the fact that I could be so easily jealous even when the reasoning made sense was frustrating and unlike me.

I waved my wand again. _"You serious?"_

Hugo nodded. "All he needs you to do is to keep Maggie away from where they're going to dinner until he has everything set up."

_"__And what day is this...?"_ I wrote, my curling script floating in the air next to me.

"We've got two weeks. Next Saturday, can you keep Mags occupied?"

I nodded slowly. _Sure, no problem. I'll just take Maggie-_ I shuddered at the thought, _-shopping for new clothes._

"Thanks, Rose. You're the greatest," Hugo grinned. "Now to tell Scorpius..." He stood up, dusting off his trousers. He raised his wand arm to apparate, but I caught him before he could. "Yeah, Rose?"

I titled my head to the side, giving him a curious glance. "Who knows?" I formed the words slowly so that he could read my lips.

He slumped back onto the bed, kicking up another pile of dust. My eyes closed of their own volition as I scrunched my nose in an attempt to avoid sneezing. It was unsuccessful.

"Bless you. And only you, me, Scorpius, Mags' Mum and Da. Oh, and Teddy. Which means Victoire. Oh, and Lily. But she's sworn to secrecy..." He sounded doubtful—Lily had an incapability of keeping secrets. "I think she had Al cast a tongue-tying curse?"

I smirked in response. _Yeah, that'd make sense._

He glanced at the clock on what used to be my desk. "Well I've got to get going. Mia is waiting for me—something about muggle television shows? And I've _still _got to talk to Scorp."

I smiled, waving a hand as he apparated with a loud crack that resounded through my room.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading. And apologies for any errors-I didn't send this to my beta because I just wanted to get it up before I forgot... again. Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. And sorry if anything doesn't make sense. I'm going on a temporary hiatus for a couple reasons. 1. It's not fair for me to say that I'll update soon and then forget for MONTHS. 2. I need to get the backstory behind this story under wraps before I can continue. I have it planned out, but several of the other family members don't have strong enough characterization. 3. I'm working on a miniseries about the main four (Rose, Scorpius, Al and Maggie) and their time at Hogwarts. 4. I really need to get my life in order.  
*This chapter is 3.1 because chapter three was meant to contain more plot than this but I haven't been able to get it written. Writer's block combined with life stinks.**

**Thank you again for reading (and actually paying attention to this insanely long author's note). Please Review!~**

**-Cler**


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